On November 24, 1934, Turkey introduced the surname act. In Turkey, this law is called "Soyadi kanunu". The purpose of this law was to force all groups of people, regardless of their ethnicity or religion, to assume a Turkish last name. This law is still applied today, and it is strictly forbidden for Christians or any ethnic minorities to assume "non-Turkish names". These names are by law prohibited in Turkey.

Nuri Amno (formerly Aktas), an Assyrian from the city of Midyat, is today a Swiss citizen. He changed back the Turkish last name Aktas, which was forced on his family, to Amno, when he was granted Swiss citizenship. In order to do the same change in Turkey, the barrister Rudi S